From margaritas to punches, A1 Party has put together a list of the top refreshing summer drinks, great for your next event.

1. Mai Tai

The Mai Tai is an alcoholic cocktail perfect for rum lovers!

Main alcohol: Rum

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz White rum

1/2 oz Fresh lime juice

1/2 oz Orange curaçao

1/2 oz Orgeat syrup

3/4 oz Dark rum

Preparation: Shake all ingredients except the dark rum together in a mixer with ice. Strain into glass and float the dark rum onto the top. Garnish and serve with straw.

Served: On the rocks; poured over ice.

Standard garnish: Lime peel, Pineapple spear

2. Jalapeño Margarita

Want something strong, spicy and refreshing? Yes Please!

Ingredients:

Fresh Lime Juice

Tequila

Sliced Jalapeño

Simple Syrup or Agave Syrup

Salt (Optional)

Garnish: Cilantro, Jalapeño

Preparation:

If you like salt, rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip the glass into the salt. For spicy heat add 3-8 slices of jalapeños, remembering that the slices at the tip will be milder than the slices up by the seeds. If you like it hot then add the slices with seeds. Muddle it at the bottom of the jar with a spoon or muddler and add a squeeze of Agave or simple syrup to taste. Fill the glass with ice and then add 2/3 fresh lime juice and 1/3 tequila.

3. Bahama Mama

4. Bloody Mary

The always popular Bloody Mary!

Ingredients:

Celery salt

1 Lemon wedge

1 Lime wedge

2 oz Premium Vodka

4 oz Tomato juice

2 dashes Tabasco Sauce

2 tsp Prepared horseradish

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch Celery salt

1 pinch Ground black pepper

1 pinch Smoked paprika

Garnish:

1 Celery stalk and lime wedge

Preparation:

Pour some celery salt onto a small plate.

Rub the juicy side of the lemon or lime wedge along the lip of a pint glass.

Roll the outer edge of the glass in celery salt until fully coated.

Fill with ice and set aside.

Squeeze the lemon and lime wedges into a shaker and drop them in.

Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice.

Shake gently and strain into the prepared glass.

Garnish with a celery stalk and a lime wedge.

5. Pear & Lemon Tom Collins Summer Cocktail

The rosemary, clove and pear make for the perfect summer drink and a good foil for the gin so don’t worry if you are ‘not a gin person’.

Ingredients:

2 oz Pear Puree

2 oz Clove Infused Simple Syrup

2 oz Gin

2 oz Champagne

4 oz Club Soda

2 Sprigs of Rosemary

A Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Garnish: Rosemary

Preparations:

Take your simple syrup and add 3 or 4 cloves, heat until there are small bubbles and then set aside to steep as you assemble the rest of the cocktail.

Puree in a food processor one whole, very ripe pear, you will only use about one-half of the pear per cocktail.

Add a squeeze of lemon to the pear puree before blending the ingredients together.

Poaching the pears in simple syrup first makes for a smoother cocktail and, although it takes 10-15 extra minutes, its worth the extra effort.

Add in ice, 4 ounces of club soda and 2 ounces of gin; stir until all ingredients are well incorporated.

For the first time in fifteen years, Glendora library’s annual fundraiser was rained out. Traditionally held outside in the library plaza, unexpected rain the day of the event forced the event planners to move all the seating inside the library.

Unfortunately guests missed out on cocktails in the Montecito rattan lounge groupings and dining & live entertainment under the fuchsia sheer swagging and 3 tiered chandeliers. Despite the downpour, a handful of guests faired the rain and dined outdoors huddled under some market umbrellas.

We could have easily tented the entire outside area, but it would have not been possible at such short notice because the entire lighting and swagging truss rig would have had to been disassembled first. Inside the library, instead of a party, everyone did a book report, just kidding. The event went on as planned and everyone, had a great time!

Summer festivals are in full swing all around the country. With long day parties and seeing as many bands as possible in a short amount of time. Summer festivals are a great place to find out about new music that you may have never been exposed to. While festivals may be a ton of fun they can also be tiring. You are spending long hours in the sun and with little sleep. Here are some tips for dealing with the heat, exhaustion and other things you may encounter.

SunBlock

Don’t forget to protect your skin – Sunburn would not be fun on the first day at the festival. Remember to reapply throughout the day. Sunglasses or a hat could help out with protecting your face from the sun.

Have a plan

Make sure you have a strategy for your day. You will want to schedule time for naps or time to rest especially if you will be in the sun all day. You can plan a nap while the bands you didn’t care to see are playing and be fresh and ready to go while your favorites hit the stage.

Food & Water

Depending on the convenience of getting food and how hot it is you may need something quick. You should carry snacks like trail mix, Granola bars, apples, and meal-replacement bars. This will help you keep your energy up and having you going strong in-between meals.

You should plan on carrying a water bottle with you at all times. Dehydration and other heat-related injuries are common at music festivals. Also remember that alcohol is dehydrating, and can be worse for your body in the heat than not drinking at all. If possible, stock up on purified jugs of water before arriving.

Sleep

Even though there is a ton of excitement in the air and you may not be planning to sleep the reality is you will need to rest. We don’t recommend replacing sleep with drinking a ton of caffeine. This could cause you to become sick and completely ruin your whole experience. You are going to want to plan out times to rest during the day and get as much sleep as you can during the evening.

Bring a flashlight

You might think useless but having a flashlight with you while at a festival may come in handy when having to navigate in the dark to use the port-a-potty.

Don’t bring anything you don’t want to get stolen

We wouldn’t recommend bringing your brand new camera to a music festival nor should you bring your laptop. It may sound like a good idea at first but you may regret it later and never get those great shots you were hoping for. If you must have your smartphone with you make sure you have a protective case that will save it after falling into the water or mud that could be present. Be sure to carry in your purse or backpack to keep it safe. It may be a good idea to invest in a solar charger so you don’t have to stand in the long lines to charge your phone up.

Have fun

This is the most important tip of all. Make sure you have fun! Remember, these tips are to ensure that you have a great time and save you from discomfort. So now that you are prepared, go meet other music lovers and rock out to your favorite bands!

If you’re in planning mode, these hottest wedding trends will help get your creative juices flowing! In 2015, we are seeing more grooms getting involved, food and beverage trucks are a favorite and glamour is returning to our weddings. Which of these new trends do you want in your wedding?

Colors & Themes

Color is back with a bang! Brighter colors are making their way into 2015 weddings. More and more couples are wanting to wow their guests and create a visual impact. Color popping is a popular trend and is on the rise. Muted tones are also a popular choice for 2015. You can mix and match a nice warm muted tone with a more cool contrasting tone to create your own look.

There is less of the rustic barn look and the vintage glam and more of the elegant and romantic luxe themes. Sophisticated and modern themes with white or ivory and bursts of color are popular, bringing classic elegance back.

Wedding Dresses & The Groom Takeover

One-shoulder, draped sleeves to off the shoulder wedding dresses are trending now in 2015. This is a soft and romantic look that is flattering on all body types. Sheer bridal gowns have been popular lately and have a perfect balance of sophistication and sexiness. We are seeing gowns in shades of blue this year along with other pale pastels. Another trend being seen are ball gowns with full skirts made of a lighter fabric but still giving the princess look.

Grooms are becoming more and more involved in the wedding planning. This may be good or bad news for some brides. We are seeing a lot of mix and match and a lot more showing of individuality.

Wedding Food & Drinks

Brunch weddings have been increasing in popular, along with mini food menus. We will see a lot of Buffet-style weddings, creating a more involving experience and allows guest to have as much as they want. We are also seeing food trucks taking over the wedding scene in 2015. From pulled pork to gourmet wood-fired pizzas, this is one of the most popular wedding trends.

Signature drinks are on the rise as well as limited bars with selected beer, liquor and wines. Beer and wine flights at drink stations are also on the rise and help keep the budget low.

Desserts and Cakes

The metallic luxe look is very popular now along with colored wedding cakes. No more plain white cakes, instead a ton of beautiful creations are popping up. Dessert bars are extremely popular and are being topped with just about any sweet you can think of! From Oreo cookies with milk, cupcakes, macarons, brownies to hand pies, doughnuts, ice cream sandwiches and candy. Take home bags are also excellent party favors for your guests.

Wedding Bouquets & Flowers

Cascading, flowing, or long bridal bouquets are the new trend for 2015. We are also seeing a lot of herbs and green foliage along blooms or wildflowers. Roses, peonies, dahlias, and hydrangeas are all popular choices for 2015.

We were proud to help out with Cisco Live! in San Diego last week. Furniture and equipment was used to create a lounge area for a 4 day conference. 110 hedge panels were used to build out the perimeter of the event area. Guests at the conference could come and go in between sessions to lounge on Montecito Rattan Furniture, enjoy beverages from the bars , and sit or stand at groupings of X Line and vineyard tables.